Apparatus for making shape retaining fiber mattresses



Jude 11, 1935- w. H. WATERS ET AL APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHAPE RETAINING FIBER MAITRESSES Filed May 11, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l Q Kim K WI LUAM H. WATERS 3m entors m JACOB s. KERN attornegs June 11, 1935. w. H. WATERS El AL 2,004,544

APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHAPE RETAINING FIBER MATTRESSES 5a 6 54 "T ll v HI W// w M 7/ WiLUAM H- A Zhmentors AND JACOB 5. KERN (Ittornegs June 11, 1935. I w WATERS ETAL 2,004544 APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHAPE RETAINING FIBER MATTRESSES Filed May 11, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 WILLIA HIWATERS ZSnventors AND JACOB 5. KERN (Ittornegs Patented June 11, 1935 "U STATES *ATENT cm Application May 11, 1932, Serial No. 610,636

, 3 Claims.

This invention relates toan improved mattress, cushion or the like, of needled fibers of curled hair, or other animal or vegetable fibers, and to a machine and process of fabricating the same 5" into a cohesive shape-retaining fashioned unit capable of being handled without disintegrating,

and requiring no casing nor tufting to preserve its predetermined configuration.

' Mattresses and the like of such curled fibers amount of the fibers into a prepared'casing, closing the latter by se'aming, and then tufting to more or less secure the encased fibers from shift ing into an uneven and lumpy contour.

\ Another known method has been to fill a ca s partly successful, and the renovating of the mat tr'ess has necessitated-a complete remaking op-' eration, as the cleaning and washingof the removed fiber contents destroys any unitary and shape-retaining 'semblance'they may have had when secured in the prepared casing.

Various efforts to make the fiber contents a cohesive unit-have heretofore been attempted,

including their needling to sheets of 'woven'f'abric or combination with other materials, but none have been successful in producing a complete finished fiberarticle of compact cohesive resili- 7' ence capable of being handled during'renovating without disturbing its formation and fixedly retaining its given structure independent of any confining casing or tufting requirement.

' In addition to the improved shape retaining cohesive formation ofthe fiber mattress-above set forth, the present improvements provide for a nicely predetermined resilient compactness of the component fibers throughout the whole or in selected areas thereof, and for any desirable variation in shape-and thickness.

The present improvements and the machine and method employed in producingthe same are more fully described in the following specification in connection with the drawings forming part thereof, and the novel features particularly set forth in the {appended claims. V

Fig. 1 indicates in perspective-a rectangular mattress of curled fibers made in accordance with the present improvements.

have heretofore been made by stuffing an' The bottom It accompanying the mattress shown in Fig. 1, the curled fibers being loosely laid ina form'of the'determined size "desired for the finished article. I

r Fig. 3 showsa further step in the method, the loosely laid fibers-indicated in Fig. 2 being confined between the slatted bottom and cover of the'form under a predetermined compression.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic cross sectional showing, taken on the line 4-4-ofFig. 5, indicating a machine-having reversely directed needles reciprocatively operative to pass between the slats of the topand bottom of the progressively advanced for'm shown in Fig. 3, andto pierce the confined'fibers through the mass into a cohesive 'nitby entwini'ng engagement of said-fibersi- I A Fig.- 51s a partial side elevation" of: the structure. shown in Fig. 4, the view beingtaken on the line 55 of the latter. J V I 'Fig. 6' is acorresponding'sectional View taken on the line 6-6iof Fig. 4. u I As an essential step in producing a mattress, cushion or the like ac'cording to the present invention, a form of the predetermined size'is emhaving a height of the finished and cover" [3 being l4, preferably set edgewise and extending transversely from side to side.. isshownas united to the sides l0 and ends II to form anintegral rigid frame, and the removable cover I3 is indicated as secured tosaid frame by hasps I5. And to facilitate' the laying of'the curled hair in .the frame to' the-desired height,temporary side ma and ends Ha may be employed, which are removed preliminary to positioning and fastening the '00V.

e'r E3 in place.

With the form? above described, which it will be understood may be; of any'predeterminedsize,

shape, and thickness, the curled fibers are carefullylaidand. confined by the frame, permitting piling up as desired, particularly in selected areas subjected to greatest'wear', and whenso laid, the temporary sides loc and- I laare removed, and the cover I 3 put in place to" compress the laid fibers to thd desired thicknessof'the formjin" and through to weave as a rectangular zontal alignment. Each side frame" is shown" as of angular cross-section witha trackq2-2 for" compressed in the form, is indicated in Figs;--4- 5 and 6, and essentially comprises-a slide way or supporting track formed by spaced-sidframes" 20, 20 carried by uprights 2|, 2|, and other sup-- ports, not indicated, spaced along the lengths of said side frames to maintain them" in horithe form to rest upon and a channel, 23 for a feed chain 24; Each chain 24 is preferably an' endless belt r having areturnffbend beneath; its side frame. andearried' on; sprockets at each: end: ofthe latter,- onlyone sprocket'being indicated at 25 in Fig.4; andaatransverse shaft 26 is shown; as connecting: the, two sprockets atone end, andhavingva ratchet wheel 21 andqcone centrically pivoted: pawlt28 arranged to. interemittently rotate said chain any suitable connection; as link 29, 29 (Fig. el ouplingvtheform thereto to be progressively movedforward by said chain step-by-stepon. tracks 22, 22., g, v The uprights 2|, 2| are shown; as arranged on opposite sides of the. spaced1 side, frames 20, 26, andact as supports for -;vertically movable bars 36 and 3 arranged respectively above and below. the side frames 20,, 26,,and' each provided with a row of fiber-interlacingneedles; 32 and 33 respectively directed: toward-the slide way formed by said frames 2|], 20. Bar 3|! is shown. as projecting through guideway slots 34, 34 in each upright andmountedin slide members .35, 35 vertically movable on said-uprights, and bar 3|. is-shown as similarly projecting. through guide way slots. 36,36, and mounted in slidemembers I v r I I fined bythewalls of. the frame. are entwined 31, 31' on said uprights.

Reciprocative movement by a, transverse shaft 40 shown as havingend discs 4|, 4|, each having a; pitman connection 42, 42-. to said bar, and-bar .3|j is shown as similarly reciprocated by a separate-transverse shaft 45 having end discs 46, 46- .withpitmanconnections 41,'4 1.

In order to vary the strokeiof .the'reciprocative bars 30 and 3 I, their pitman connections to their respectivediscsfl, 4| and 46,-;46 .may have av slotted adjustment asv shown,,and to provide for proper location..,0f the bars. 36,, 3|, for.varying thicknesses of passing forms, the shafts- 40 and 45 are preferably mounted for vertical adjust-, ment,,asfollows: Shaft 401s shown as project-, ingxthrough. guide slots,5| l,l 56 in uprights 20,-

26 and mounted in slide members-5|, 5| on, said.

uprights, screw rods 52, 52 engaging said slide members to vertically adjust theirpositions on saiduprights, and said-screw rods each having a bevel gear 53, 53 meshing with beveli ears on a handturned shaft 54 for jointly and simultaneously rotating said screw rods. Shaft 45 is shown as similarly projecting throughslotsl55;

55 insaid uprights, mounted in slidemembers.

56, 56 adjustably positioned by screw rods 51,

5 1 having bevel gears 58,58' jointly operated by a hand turned shaft59.. r

it is es'rable. that sh its 46 and 45; he jointly rotated, and to this endslide me'mbers; 5|,v 5| v is imparted to bar 3|l carry a second transverse shaft 66 shown connected to shaft 46 by suitable gears 6|, 62, and

slide members 56, 56 similarly carry a second slidemembers-5l, 5| and 56, 56 as will be readily understoodi Power may be applied, as indicated by a pulley wheel on shaft65.

Racking rotation of feed .chain 24 is indicated aseffect'ed' through a bell crank 15 mounted on a side frame26(Fig."5) with one arm connected by'anadjustablelink 16 to a slide block 35, and its other arm connected by a rod 11 to the concentrically pivoted pawl 28 operating rack gear f Fromtheforegoi'ng description it will be readily seenthat th e machine operates to jointly recipr'ocate the needles into and through the fibers confined and held in the form, said needles entering between the slots of the top and bottom of. said'form, and said for-m being racked forward between each needling reciprocation to advance the next space. The needle stroke, and verticaliladjust'ment of. shafts. 40-60 and 45-65 above setfforth, provide for any variation in.

thickness of formand insure complete through andthrough needling, for any size, and the adjustable'link 1sror varying. the step-by-step feed of the form to suit varied. slot spacings. The form ofneedles employed may be of any ordinary. construction,v but a hooked needle is preferred' whichfpasses freely through the. fibers in and interengaged close tothe latter insuringa complete cohesive union throughout with finished edges and surfaces. I

A mattress madein'accordance'with the present inventioniis indicated inFig. 1, the size thereof being'of the predetermined size of the; form employed, andithe compact resilient thickf ness determined: bythe height of the walls of. thef'orm used, and the amount of. curled fibers em-, ployed and compressed in saidform, and its 00- hesiveunion and. retention of the-shape of. the;

form is insured by itsneedling while held compressed said form. Such' needling of the fibers held compressed in the form insures their cohesive. weaving intd. a shape-retainingtenacious'mass,. and with the .needling carried close to the edges of the form, the sides 80 and. ends 4 8|? of "the mattress are-finished and firmly held. with no ragged freeends, and the top 82 andv corresponding bottom "are also finished and fix.-

edly held due to the maintained pressure of the form duringproduction; There is no mechan' ical picking j'required in its making and no cutting-after being made, both tending to break the. long fibers into short ones not securable by need-ling, and no other material or interengaged'. burlap is required to insure its unitary cohesion, producing an improved mattress solely ofone component, fiber constituent, solidly built to specific dimension of width lengthv andheight, pro

viding increased resilience and longevity of use.

The forms employed may be of any irregular shape, and the fibers laid in different degrees of thickness to provide wear resisting areas of greater density.

From the foregoing description it is believed the nature of the present improvements and the method and machine for making the same will be readily understood, and the specific structure shown may of course be modified within the scope of novelty defined in the following claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a machine for needling curled fibers, the combination with a pair of horizontal side frames having a form-carrying slide-way, a pair of endless feed belts traversing the latter, opposed uprights intermediate the length of said side frames, and needle-carrying bars above and below said slide-way mounted to reciprocate on said uprights and having fiber-entwining needles directed toward said slide-way; of a drive shaft associated with each needle-carrying bar mounted for vertical adjustment on said uprights and having a reciprocative connection to its respective bar and a drive connection to a vertical drive shaft, and separate means for adjusting each shaft relative to said slide-way; the shaft associated with one of said needle bars having a sliding drive connection to said vertical drive shaft to permit vertical adjustment of either shaft. Y I

2. An open-top frame having solid side and end walls and a rigid slatted bottom adapted to confine unevenly piled-up curled fibers to its de-' termined size and shape, and a removable slatted top adapted to be seated on said frame by compression of the fibers to a determined uniform thickness of uneven density, and locking means to hold said slatted top in position; the slats of the rigid bottom and removable top being in vertical alinement to permit a reversely directed through-and-through needling operation between the slats.

3. An open top frame having solid side and end walls and a slatted bottom adapted to confine determinedly placed piled-up curled fibers, and a removable slatted top adapted to be seated on said frame by compression of the fibers to the size and shape of said form, and locking means to'hold said top in seated position; the slats of the rigid bottom and removable top being in vertical alinement to permit a reversely directed through-and-through needling operationbe tween the slats.

WILLIAM H. WATERS.

JACOB S. KERN. 

